KALE & QUINOA MIX UP

I want to avoid calling this recipe Kale & Quinoa ‘salad’ as I know a lot of men won’t eat such a dish. Whilst my Chris did poke around this dinner searching for the ‘dead animal’ (he’s so charming) he did assure me that he was very full after his bowl of quinoa, kale chips and a serving of sweet potato chips. Whilst this recipe was a bit more fiddly than most of the others I have blogged about recently, it was well worth it. It is a fresh, filling meal and all the different colours on the plate really excite me. As the saying goes, the brighter the vegetables the more healthy they are for you!  

Ingredients

• 30g cashews, roughly chopped
• 160g (1 regular bunch) kale, torn into even sized leaves & stalk removed
• 2.5g (1/2 teaspoon) olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup quinoa (any type) (85g)
• 200g green beans, washed, trimmed & roughly chopped
• 155g red capsicum, deseeded & roughly chopped
• 125g tomatoes, diced 
• 1 lime, juiced

Cooking 

1.  Preheat a fan force oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a small to medium baking tray with baking paper and scatter the cashew pieces on top. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until slightly golden & toasted. Remove from oven and set aside. 

2. Whilst the nuts are toasting, line a large baking tray with baking paper. Toss the kale, oil, garlic and a pinch of sea salt in a large bowl until well combined. Place the kale in a single layer on the large tray. Bake in the oven for around 8 minutes or until the kale is crispy but not burnt. Remove from oven and set aside. 

3. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa twice in a fine sieve under cold running water. Use your hands to remove all the grit. In a small saucepan, bring the quinoa and 1 1/2 cups water to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. 

4. Place the cooked quinoa in a large serving bowl and add the beans, capsicum, tomatoes, lime juice and a sprinkling of ground black pepper. Toss well to combine and scatter the cashew pieces on top. Serve the kale chips alongside this salad with a serving of sweet potato chips with lime (yesterday's recipe) if desired. 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20-25 minutes 

Approx. calories / with the serving of sweet potato chips 546 / without sweet potato chips 275 

x Emily 

KALE & PROSCIUTTO RISOTTO

My blog has been a little quiet of late, due to some totally crazy renovations than myself, my fiancée Chris and his amazing parents have been involved in. But it will all be worth it when Chris & I move into our very first home at the end of October. With 14-15 hours of our day accounted for filled with work, renovating and travelling across Brisbane there has not been much, if any, time to cook. I have truly missed it. So much so that I ignored my tired body screaming at me to sit down last night and instead cooked three dinners so I would be able to blog about something other than how renovations are much more physically and emotionally draining that I had ever thought possible. Because who honestly wants to hear about that? Thanks to gourmet farmer Matthew Evans for the inspiration for this simple yet moreish recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium leek, white part only, finely chopped
• 2 long thin slices of prosciutto, finely chopped
• 2 cups (400g) arborio rice
• 1 medium bunch kale, stems removed, washed & roughly chopped
• 1.75 - 2 litres (7 - 8 cups) vegetable stock 
• sea salt & pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

COOKING 

1. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the leek and prosciutto and cook, stirring regularly, for 3-4 minutes or until the leek is soft but not burnt. Add the rice and kale and stir well until combined. 

2. Add the vegetable stock one ladleful or 1/2 cup at a time to the pan, making sure to stir the risotto constantly and only add another ladleful when the stock in the pan has been completely absorbed. When all the stock has been absorbed by the rice, taste the rice to see if it is tender. If it is not, add a splash of water and continue to stir, taste-testing the rice again when the water has been absorbed. If / when the rice is tender,  stir in the sea salt & pepper. Serve warm, sprinkled with basil. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily 

CHILLI KALE CHIPS

Kale chips are something I have wanted to make for a while. I’ve blogged before about how great Kale is for us and have used this superfood in soups, pesto, smoothies and even in a cassoulet. I was surprised how quickly the kale chips cooked, so keep your eyes on your oven! 4-5 minutes is all they need. Enjoy this totally guilt free snack! And if you think they aren't up your alley, think again...I was rather shocked that my meat-loving fiancee liked them, perhaps even more than I did. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large bunch of kale, washed well and dried
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice bran oil 
• a pinch of chilli powder (only add if you like a bit of hotness!)
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt 

PREPARATION/ COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line two large baking trays with baking paper. 

2. Remove the kale from its stems by grabbing the stalk end and gently running your fingers down the stalk in one motion. Tear the leaves so that they are even in size. 

3. Make the chip seasoning by combining the chilli (if using), coriander, cumin and garlic salt in a small bowl and mixing to combine. 

4. Place the kale leaves in a large bowl and pour the oil over the top, then toss well so that all the leaves are lightly coated. Sprinkle the ready made seasoning on top and toss well again. Spread the kale leaves out in a single layer on the two prepared trays. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, making sure to watch the chips so they do not burn! Once the chips look and feel dry and crispy, remove from the oven and leave to cool completely before storing. 

Serving side / 1 large handful 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes maximum

Total Cooking time / 8-10 minutes 

x Emily 

KALE, PUMPKIN & CHICKPEA CASSOULET

I wish I could take credit for this beautiful, rustic Cassoulet but all the glory must go to creative Tasmanian farmer and cook Matthew Evans. I found this recipe in the latest edition of Feast magazine and couldn’t take my eyes off it. What really intrigued me was Evans quote re this dish; ‘this is such a great one-pot meal that you’ll probably want to become a vegetarian for winter’. I just had to try this one. Loaded with healthy and wholesome vegetables including kale (or the less available Cavolo nero), pumpkin, onions, chickpeas and tomatoes and topped with breadcrumbs, this meat-free cassoulet is divine. It is the tastiest way I have ever eaten kale and chickpeas and is a true blue winter dish. If you try any winter warmers on this blog- this is the one! 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 onions, 1 red & 1 brown, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh rosemary
• 3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
• 600g pumpkin, peeled & cut into 2cm pieces
• 2 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 2 large handfuls of kale or cavolo nero, stems removed and leaves washed & shredded
• 140g (2 cups) gluten free breadcrumbs

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan-forced oven to 180 degrees celsius. Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan or deep frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and stir, cooking for 4 minutes or until onion has softened. Add garlic and cook for another minute or until it becomes fragrant. Reduce the heat to low and add the smoked paprika, coriander & cumin and stir well into pan until combined. 

2. Pour diced tomatoes and 750ml (3 cups) water into the pan to slow down the cooking. Return the heat to high and add the pumpkin, chickpeas and kale/cavolo nero. Add a pinch of sea salt and pepper and stir well to combine all ingredients. 

3. Transfer the ingredients to an ovenproof casserole pan unless you have used a deep frying pan in steps 1 & 2 that is ovenproof and will fit in your oven. Sprinkle half of the breadcrumbs (1 cup) on top of the vegetables and bake in the oven for 1 hour. After this time, remove from the oven and stir in the slightly browned breadcrumbs on the top, taste and add more salt & pepper if needed. Check the moisture level as well; you want there to be a small amount of liquid just below the chickpeas, so top up with some water if it is looking dry. (I added around 1/2 cup of water). Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of breadcrumbs evenly over the top and bake for another hour or until the breadcrumbs are golden and the pumpkin is tender. Serve hot. 

Serves / 6

Total Preparation time / 15 - 20 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 2 hours 15 minutes 

x Emily 

KALE PESTO/GREMOLATA

Another recipe from my beloved cookbook of the moment; “I Quit Sugar”. The author Sarah Wilson makes her Kale Pesto by steaming the kale first, which I assume gives the pesto a creamier and smoother quality. I personally like a more textured pesto and the less oil the better. Hence my Kale Pesto could also be construed as a twist on a Gremolata, a finely chopped herb condiment traditionally made with lemon juice and or zest, garlic and parsley or other herbs. I actually used this pesto as a topping over plain rice and really enjoyed the zesty flavours. I have to say I am very impressed with this extremely popular superfood. Must try my hand at cooking oven-baked Kale chips that are popping up in cookbooks and food blogs everywhere. Stay tuned.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch kale, washed & stems removed 
• 3 green shallots, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• juice of 1 small lime
• 2 tablespoons finely grated sheep's pecorino cheese, plus extra to serve 

COOKING 

1. Place all ingredients and a pinch of sea salt in a food processor or blender and process/blend for a few minutes until ingredients are well combined. You will need to stop the processor / blender several times to scape the edges of the processor/blender so that all ingredients are evenly mixed. Serve with extra grated cheese if desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. 

Serve spread on top of rice/corn thins/cakes, as an accompaniment to a salad, as a topping/sauce for pasta or even to flavour a plain bowl of rice. 

Makes / around 1 1/2 cups 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 5 minutes maximum 

x Emily